Hadhafang
Hadhafang was a sword once belonging to the Elven princess Idril who wed a mortal Man (Tuor) and bore Eärendil, the father of Elrond, who in turn was father to Arwen. Portrayal in adaptations The Lord of the Rings film trilogy Hadhafang was wielded by Elrond during the battle between the Last Alliance of Elves and Men and the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron on the slopes of Mount Doom. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) The blade is inscribed with Tengwar runes in Sindarin that say "Aen estar Hadhafang i chathol hen, thand arod dan i thang an i arwen.", which translates to "This blade is called Hadhafang, a noble defense against the enemy throng for a noble lady." (In Sindarin "Arwen" actually means "noble (or royal) woman"). The Hobbit film trilogy In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Elrond is seen on horseback carrying Hadhafang, having used it in battle against Hunter Orcs.The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012, Extended Edition) And later in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Elrond is seen wielding it again against the Ringwraiths.The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013, Extended Edition) Behind the scenes * wielding Hadhafang]]This sword does not appear in the books, Weta Workshop created it and its back-story by the filmmakers for Peter Jackson's film trilogy The Lord of the Rings, based on J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings novels. *The name Hadhafang is a newly coined Sindarin word meaning "throng-cleaver". *In the original concept for the sword, the inscription contained an additional verse of text that read as follows: Idril i hel en aran Gond dolen, which when translated read Idril, daughter of the king of the Hidden Rock (Gondolin). The text was omitted from the final design for the sword due to a lack of space on the finished prop. In the behind the scenes documentaries of the Hobbit films, the crew still assert that Hadhafang is a sword that once belonged to Idril, grandmother of Elrond. This is an invention of the film makers, yet it still gives lineage to the sword that Elrond wields. As such, it may well be a sword of Gondolin. *Some viewers claimed that Hadhafang was a Japanese-type sword due to its cosmetic similarity to a katana. Hadhafang was actually inspired by European cavalry sabers of the early modern period (such as the Shashka, the signature sword of the Cossaks) and the Assyrian sickle-sword of the Bronze Age Near East. Like both the cavalry sword and the sickle-sword, Hadhafang was made for use on horseback (katana were designed for melee). However, the decision to not include Arwen in Helms Deep meant that the only time the sword was seen in use was when Elrond used it in close combat during the prologue (Arwen doesn't actually use the sword against the Ringwraiths). Elrond is able to wield it one handed against the Nazgul in the Hobbit films. Some people have also commented on the alleged bad balance of the prop, not realizing that it's meant for use from horseback. References Category:Non-Canonical Swords de:Hadhafang es:Hadhafang fr:Hadhafang it:Hadhafang pl:Hadhafang ru:Хадхафанг